How do you define success and happiness?

[Syne]

No..every time you open your piehole. Every thread you derail with your petty bitching, every snide put down you spue of other posters, every gestapo style interrogation others must submit to from you, and every tortured defense of bigotry and hatred you make in the name of politics, you spread your nauseating toxic negativity in this forum.  It's all you. Own it.

IOW, your derailment with this petty bitching.

Liar. You derailed this thread with this petty bitching:

Magical Realist Wrote:
https://www.facebook.com/HigherPerspecti...6oDJagaceV

Vacuous self-help motivational tripe, but hey, if it makes you feel better...

No, that's just my opinion of self-help platitudes...with even a nod to those who might appreciate them. To each their own.
You, OTOH, are quite clearly bitching, moaning, and derailing this thread.

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Um...let's get back to discussing happiness?  

Back on track, I had an up and down kind of week and what I've learned is that maybe our definition of happiness is ever changing, always evolving. For at the beginning of this week, I felt unhappy, or should i say unsettled about something, and after careful thought and consideration, and working through it, i feel a sense of accomplishment. And in that, I find peace. Such a process does something to a person, a good something. Maybe happiness, peace and success lies somewhere between striving for what we think we want, and accepting the struggle to get there. In thinking through the seemingly unhappy times in my life, it had to do more with how I perceived the struggle, than the struggle itself.

Going further, could it be true that suffering is optional?

Roller-coaster moods and changing definitions of happiness might indicate being at effect, where external circumstances seem to have more influence than you feel you exert. Confidence in being able to work through challenges makes unhappiness a rarity.

I agree, unhappiness is about how we chose to perceive challenges. Our power to choose how we feel is highly underrated, but that's because it is tied to self-confidence, which many lack. Suffering is largely optional. But understanding that relies on being able to see other options.

[Magical Realist]

No, that's just my opinion of self-help platitudes...with even a nod to those who might appreciate them. To each their own

No..that's just you bitching again to a post that had nothing to do with you. It's what you do. Own it.

[Leigha]

I agree ^^ (post #31)

It's important to note that we live in a society that for some reason, vacillates between celebrating perceived victim-hood, and yet tells me that I alone can rise above any and all tragedies, for I am woman, hear me roar. It's a strange dichotomy.

I can honestly say, I've lived in both worlds, and the latter is more challenging in the short run, but more rewarding in the long run. And the opposite for those times when I've resigned myself as a victim of a particular ''unfair'' situation in life. (that I perceived as unfair)

[Syne]

I agree ^^ (post #31)

It's important to note that we live in a society that for some reason, vacillates between celebrating perceived victim-hood, and yet tells me that I alone can rise above any and all tragedies, for I am woman, hear me roar. It's a strange dichotomy.

I can honestly say, I've lived in both worlds, and the latter is more challenging in the short run, but more rewarding in the long run. And the opposite for those times when I've resigned myself as a victim of a particular ''unfair'' situation in life. (that I perceived as unfair)

Being a victim (effect) is easy, as it requires no personal responsibility or accountability. You're just a leaf on the wind, subject to the vicissitudes of fate. And some people seem to relish bemoaning their circumstances and blaming others (illustrated below by MR). Some people even benefit from the victim-hood of others, rallying them to gain personal and political power. These people have a vested interest in keeping people victims...and probably love empty self-help platitudes and slogans. It's all the more insidious because of how they seem to undermine the truths of such cliched slogans by pairing them with the worse mindsets.

So victims need to feel both oppressed and self-righteously empowered. The former to keep them victims and give them problems in lieu of goals, and the latter to mobilize them for ulterior purposes by encouraging solidarity and action. Sadly, the self-righteousness likely just entrenches people in their victim-hood, as it gives them a reason to remain victims.

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No, that's just my opinion of self-help platitudes...with even a nod to those who might appreciate them. To each their own

No..that's just you bitching again to a post that had nothing to do with you. It's what you do. Own it.

So...you're saying I shouldn't have an opinion about anything you post? O_o
Even when I acknowledge that some people may like it.

[Magical Realist]

So...you're saying I shouldn't have an opinion about anything you post?

Just don't bitch about posts that aren't addressed to you. It's easy to do. It's what normal people do all the time.

[Syne]

So...you're saying I shouldn't have an opinion about anything you post?

Just don't bitch about posts that aren't addressed to you. It's easy to do. It's what normal people do all the time.

You didn't answer the question.
Do you want to censor me from opining about things you post? O_o

[Magical Realist]

So...you're saying I shouldn't have an opinion about anything you post?

Just don't bitch about posts that aren't addressed to you. It's easy to do. It's what normal people do all the time.

You didn't answer the question.  
Do you want to censor me from opining about things you post? O_o

You don't honestly opine anything. You find something to bitch about, and then bitch, effectively derailing the thread. In all honestly, I don't even read your posts anymore beyond the first few and last sentences. I have no interest in your willfully negative views on things.

[Syne]

So...you're saying I shouldn't have an opinion about anything you post?

Just don't bitch about posts that aren't addressed to you. It's easy to do. It's what normal people do all the time.

You didn't answer the question.  
Do you want to censor me from opining about things you post? O_o

You don't honestly opine anything. You find something to bitch about, and then bitch, effectively derailing the thread. In all honestly, I don't even read your posts anymore beyond the first few and last sentences. I have no interest in your willfully negative views on things.

Yet you are reading and bitching about these posts and derailing this thread.

[Magical Realist]

So...you're saying I shouldn't have an opinion about anything you post?

Just don't bitch about posts that aren't addressed to you. It's easy to do. It's what normal people do all the time.

You didn't answer the question.  
Do you want to censor me from opining about things you post? O_o

You don't honestly opine anything. You find something to bitch about, and then bitch, effectively derailing the thread. In all honestly, I don't even read your posts anymore beyond the first few and last sentences. I have no interest in your willfully negative views on things.

Yet you are reading and bitching about these posts and derailing this thread.  

You already derailed it. That's on you. I'm done here. I return this thread to Leigha.

[Syne]

In all honestly, I don't even read your posts anymore beyond the first few and last sentences. I have no interest in your willfully negative views on things.

Yet you are reading and bitching about these posts and derailing this thread.  

You already derailed it. That's on you. I'm done here. I return this thread to Leigha.

I just gave my opinion, little buddy. It's about damn time you quit bitching about it.